Canada for Gentlemen | Page 5

our
convenience. We eventually got in here about twelve last night. We did
not go to the Magog House as Horton recommended, as it was a good
long way from the station, and, we were told, might not be open. This
place, the Sherbrooke Hotel, is just opposite the station, so being very
tired and not wanting any bother we came in here. We got into
conversation with a man at Richmond who turned out to be an
Agricultural Agent of some sort, he had been Horton's foreman on his
farm many years ago, and knew them all very well. He turned out a
very decent old chap, and a Scotchman, and he was very useful to us in
getting us a feed, etc., when we got here, otherwise we should have had
to go supperless to bed. This morning (Tuesday), we went first thing to
see Allen, he was very cordial and obliging, and withal very
encouraging; he did not give vent to any decided opinions, but he
thought it very possible that Mr. Hill, of whom Mr. Horton spoke, and
to whom we are to be introduced to-morrow, might be able to get me
work on the Canada Pacific Railway, with which he is in some way
connected. I sincerely hope he may, as I should then get a free pass to
the West. _Wednesday._--We saw Hill this morning, he could do
nothing in the way of getting us work, but he gave us a lot of names
and addresses which turned out useful, among others a letter to a chap
called Ibotson, a sort of emigration agent, asking him to send us round
to several farms which he mentioned. We went round to a heap of
people with an old chap called Kemp, who is something to do with the
something Colonization Society. The worst of it was we had to hire a
trap, as the distance to be covered was considerable; that cost $3, but it
was the only thing to be done. Everybody assured us that nothing but a
personal interview would be any use, so we cruised about the country
in a very nice little buggy for five hours under the escort of old Kemp,
and I must say we should have been nowhere without him. I should
never have known how to conduct the business with some of the
specimens we came across, not to mention that we should have been
sure to have lost ourselves half-a-dozen times over, and so should not
have seen half the number of people. Well, the upshot of the day's
campaign was that I think Henry stands a good chance of a place.

Everyone assures me that he could not do better than go to the farm in
question. It belongs to an old man called Crabtree, or something like
that, I don't know exactly how he spells himself. He is a very
rough-and-tumble old fellow, but, it seems, a capital farmer, and a good
honest dealing man. He has one of the best farms in the county, and is
very well off, having made all his money on his farm. Henry would get
his board and lodging, and most probably somewhere about $10 a
month besides. Of course nothing is fixed yet; the old chap's wife was
away, and he could do nothing without consulting her, but he said he
would want help during the winter, and he would not engage anyone
without letting us know. He cannot, however, do anything for the next
fortnight, which is a nuisance. None of the others that, we called on
came to very much, so we are going up to Montreal to-night to deliver
introductions and stir up the mud generally. Both Ibotson and Kemp are
going to make enquiries for us here, and write to us if anything turns up.
It's very good of them, they have both taken a lot of trouble, and it's all
done for love. In fact everybody is most good-natured, and willing to
do everything in their power to help us. They all say they have no
doubt we shall be able to get work very soon, but it cannot be done in a
day; so it seems to me, having got these two old fellows to look out for
us here, we had better go and present ourselves in Montreal, and so be
as it were in two places at once. Moreover, I should like to see Roland
Stanley if possible before I clinch any bargain. We are perfectly certain
of getting disinterested advice from him, though I see no reason
whatever to doubt the policy of what I have done or the intentions of
our backers. I don't know if I have made all our doings and plans
sufficiently clear. I am